This report is the sixth and final report in a series designed to help states, local government, and the voluntary sector, as they respond to the social policy debates and changes precipitated by the 104th Congress through its welfare reform efforts. This final report draws on the lessons the project learned from commissioned papers, six…

This book, which is intended to give stakeholders in state and local welfare policies a foundation on which to plan state/local reform efforts, summarizes some of the key findings and lessons from 2 decades of research on policies and programs aimed at increasing the self-sufficiency of low-income individuals and families. Chapters 1 and 2, which…

The centerpiece of the 1988 Family Support Act (FSA) is the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) Act, which directs states to provide a broad range of educational, training, and employment services. FSA offers states an opportunity to design humane and effective programs to assist welfare recipients to move out of poverty. FSA also has…

Noting the while there may be much support for the principle that families on welfare should have access to 2 years of education and training and then be expected to work, this paper contends that it will be extremely difficult, perhaps impossible, to design a coherent and constructive program within the probable federal budget constraints. In…

The Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources empaneled a subcommittee to investigate the possible employment of individuals who are dependent on public assistance, and proposed such an amendment to the Job Training Partnership Act. The amendment would establish an incentive bonus for the successful placement of welfare recipients in jobs.…

This is a transcript of a public hearing on H.R. 1452, a bill to amend and reauthorize the Refugee Act of 1980. Following the text of the bill, which was introduced in March 1985 by Congressman Romano L. Mazzoli, testimony is presented by a number of government officials as well as representatives of agencies that provide services to immigrants…

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 presents states with new opportunities and flexibility to design programs for teen parents. This report summarizes how welfare reform has changed the environment for teen parents dependent on welfare. The report presents research findings on the costs of supporting teen…

This paper outlines the elements of the federal welfare reform legislation and the most important child welfare reforms currently being implemented. Some of the common themes of child welfare reforms are identified. The paper also discusses why new child welfare systems should be designed by child welfare and workfare authorities in collaboration…

Examines the political movement to alter welfare behavior through changes in welfare reform and discusses the outcomes of several welfare reform initiatives. Explores welfare-to-work; Learnfare; and Learning, Earning, and Parenting. Also discusses research in social engineering efforts involving child support enforcement and time limits.…

Nearly 80 means-tested programs for low-income persons and families have been created by the federal government to help meet the needs of various groups. In fiscal year 1992, the federal government spent about $208 billion through these programs. Evaluation of these programs was based on reports by the General Accounting Office (GAO) and others.…

This analysis of how plans to balance the budget are likely to affect the public considers the latest Republican offer and the Democratic administration's offer of January 18, 1996, as well as pending action on the fiscal year 1996 appropriations bills. The analysis finds that the latest Republican offer, in conjunction with pending and enacted…

A study examined the effectiveness of programs funded under Title II-A of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) in raising female recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) above poverty. Data about the employment/earnings outcomes of nearly 6,500 women from 150 JTPA service delivery areas in 11 states who participated in a…

This report describes the study undertaken to implement a legislative resolution in Montana. Part 1 reports the subcommittee's decision to make an evaluation of the state's existing job training programs the primary object of its study. Public comment on the study's purpose, heard by the subcommittee at its first meeting, is summarized in this…

This paper uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to answer two questions about the effects of the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program: (1) Does the length of time that one receives AFDC affect the likelihood of permanently leaving AFDC?; (2) What personal and family characteristics are associated with…

Information was collected on three issues related to the extent to which states use welfare dollars to provide work support and other services to welfare recipients and other low-income families. They were: extent of caseload decline since welfare reform was implemented and status of families who have left welfare; extent to which states spend…